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DRM Chair Self-Destructs After 8 Uses

Posted by samzenpus on from the collapsing-comfort dept.

unts writes "Taking DRM further than it's gone before, a group of designers have built a DRM'd chair that will melt its own joints and destroy itself after 8 uses. The chair uses an Arduino and sensors to monitor the number of uses, then triggers the melting of a set of joints that hold it together, making the product unusable without some carpentry skills. The video of device at work is both amusing and a little disconcerting."

10 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. This might be... by fyngyrz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...excellent for congress.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re:This might be... by splutty · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I think in congress you might want to melt the occupants after 8 uses, not the chair.

      --
      Coz eternity my friend, is a long *ing time.
  2. That's not DRM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is not DRM; it is product-life expiration. DRM would be if the chair had GPS and would melt itself if moved further than 200ft from its location of first use.

    1. Re:That's not DRM by onyxruby · · Score: 4, Insightful

      DRM is properly thought of as Digital Restrictions Management, instead of Digital Rights Management. A good example of a previous DRM that implemented something like this is the limited edition DVD like disks that were being several years back. They were pushed by Disney and called Flexplay and only made for a couple years.

      Remember DRM is all about restricting how something is used, even if that restriction requires the destruction of the devices. Many tamper resistant crypto chips will self destruct instead of letting a user access their data without restriction.

  3. Conference room chairs .... by PPH · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... that time out after too long of a meeting.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  4. Re:!DRM by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is called Planned Obsolescence

    No, this is Programmed obsolescence. Planned obsolescence depends on statistics. This is much more reliable, and should really help with the spreadsheets.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  5. One Question? by craznar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    WHY?

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  6. Needed! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We need this to protect the livelihoods of furniture makers in America. This will save millions of jobs. Imagine the horror of a person buying a chair and using it upwards to an infinite amount of times!

  7. Re:How's this DRM? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And it's a good metaphor for DRM. It costs more to make, because this chair has a microprocessor. That cost gets passed on to the consumer, yet makes the product less valuable to them.

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    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  8. You wouldn't? by jforr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You wouldn't download a movie that falls apart after 8 uses would you?